Went here for breakfast yesterday, and I have to say I'd definitely go back! The pancakes we delicious and fluffy, the bacon was perfectly cooked, and the hashbrowns were crispy. My boyfriend had the vegan menu items. He got the tofu scramble, vegan pancakes, and hashbrowns. He definitely feels like there could be improvements, but it's still a good spot to go to for vegans. Will never complain about having a new spot to go to on my list for us both to enjoy! The servers here were very kind too. Whenever someone ran out of coffee or water at my table, the staff were quick to refill the cups. They were also great about cleaning off the tables as we were done with certain items. They're very kind and hospitable here. It's also a very cute place! I wish I got more pictures of the inside, but it felt so comfortable in there. Overall, I'd definitely go back! read more

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Meli's wasn't our original choice but I'm so glad we came here! Meli's was packed due to Greek Independence day, which we were not aware of, but despite that, we were seated within 5 minutes and served within 15 minutes after ordering. The tables are super close to each other so it can be awkward getting up and out if there's a full table behind and next to you so just be aware of that. Food was also super delicious, a little pricey but not too bad. Just the right portions too which is a plus. Definitely would come back again! read more

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I came here for a bite to start the day and I'm definitely glad I did! I LOVE a freddo espresso and they made mine perfectly! Felt like I was visiting Greece again. They still had their st pattys day menu going so I indulged in their St. Patrick's mimosa, which was green and chased with a shot of Jameson (yes I wrote "chased" with Jameson smh). We ordered the fish sandwich and strawberry salad and they were both pretty delicious and heavily sized portions! Especially for the price, it felt as if they were giving food away! My sandwich came with soup, fries and we even got dinner rolls on the side! The service was great. Felt as if they were taking special care of us. Ambiance was cool, it's a cozy cafe. read more

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Meli's is one of my go to places in the West Loop. The breakfast sandwich, veggie omelet and the buffalo wrap are my favorites. Service is always good and fast. read more

I loved the menu I viewd on Yelp for Meli and I was excited to try the food. Unfortunately I left with a feeling of "meh" for Meli Cafe in general. I ordered an iced chai tea to start and it had a very milky look and taste. My daughter ordered one too and she didn't finish it. Our server was attentive, until she wasn't. She took our initial order quickly but forgot about us after that. I was really thirsty but went without water for quite a while. We also ordered a side of toast that didn't come until we were almost done eating. The food was fine but this would not be my favorite Chicago breakfast location. I did see a lot of people coming in for juices to-go. They looked good, and the place seemed popluar, but it just wasn't for me. read more

The food was so delicious. The service was so good. It was quiet. I would eat here again I would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended only if you stay in the hotel and do not want to go far for a meal. Otherwise, recommend you venture out into the city for better options. The food was fresh but the quality just so-so. Service and ambiance were ok, nothing special. read more

Had a lovely brunch at Meli Café, and while not everything hit the mark, the overall experience was great! They had a specials menu, so I decided to try a couple of those along with some regular menu items. Crème Brûlée French Toast (Special) - Absolutely mouthwatering! Perfectly caramelized, rich, and indulgent--this was hands down the best part of my meal. Strawberry Latte (Special) - Unfortunately, a big letdown. It sounded promising but didn't deliver on flavor. Avocado Toast Benedict - A solid and satisfying dish! Fresh, well-balanced, and a great portion size. Skin Cleanser Juice - Super refreshing and packed with great flavors--definitely a nice addition to brunch. Aside from the food, the service was excellent, the portions were generous, and the atmosphere was quiet with plenty of seating, making it a great spot to relax and enjoy a meal. Would definitely come back--especially for that French toast! read more

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Meli is a great breakfast/brunch space in the city if you're looking for a last-minute spot. We typically do walk-ins and they're usually able to accommodate us. The ambiance feels very family-oriented. They have a wide variety of items on their menu and I love their house-made juice! I enjoyed my eggs benedict and also got a side of hashbrowns. I wish the hashbrowns were crispier though. The french toast was good! Our server Amy is the best! read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - The Classic Benedict - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent food and service, but the wait can be long. But it's worth it. Amazing coffee. Spectacular breakfast bowls. Awesome waffles and pancakes. This is the best breakfast place in Greek Town. I love that they have a hometown setting and decor in the downtown area! It gives the place a relaxed atmosphere. read more

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Fraud! They marked my order as complete and stole my money. Then lied about it! Apparently they don't do delivery so they kept the food in house, marked it as complete, and lied on the phone when I called them. I picked it up and they left out half the order and it was made like crap! Unbelievable. They fully knew they couldn't complete the order. Thieves! read more

I haven't visited this location in years. We were seated pretty much right away for breakfast. It took longer than expected for someone to take our order though. Once we ordered, our food came out rather quickly. I ordered the pancake breakfast & substituted the bacon for chicken sausage. Everything was delicious. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Kid's Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Pancake Breakfast - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Overall solid brunch spot. Service was good. Ambiance is very chill and cozy. Food was good.

Wow! Great steak, great eggs and overall a great spot. They even have a whole coconut you can drink coconut water out of. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great, reliable brunch spot. There's almost always a wait, so definitely go earlier. There's a large selection of brunch items, so there should be something for everyone. The shakshuka is my fave, incredibly flavorful and delightful. If you're looking for a new brunch place, add this place to your list! read more

Came here with my coworkers. We got seated pretty quickly even though we were a big group. They didn't serve alcohol even though they have alcohol on the menu they showed us. Food was okay. I got the jalapeño bowl which wasn't spicy at all. The chorizo was good well though. read more

Everything came out hot and delicious . It's also a decent portions . I enjoyed the breakfast here read more

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Cute cozy spot. It's sad that the delicious work done by the kitchen was over shadowed by the poor service we got. The server we had seemed to not want to be there. He double checked other tables before even greeting us. And he took a while to get us our check. Wasn't friendly. read more

Food was very good, but service? Not good, we didn't get service for at least 15 min with an empty restaurant and then when she came and took the order was rude and annoyed by our questions read more

Delicious! Everyone was super friendly. Our food came out very fast. I appreciate alternative milk options (I chose oat for my chai) being available. The waiting area feels a little awkward, as there is no structure to have people seated in the order they come in. Would come again! read more

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A really good breakfast cafe. It has many common breakfast favorites. Meli often gets a big crowd especially on weekends. Certainly it gets annoying having to sit and wait but that's a good sign this place is ass kicking. The menu contains some surprisingly healthy choices including plant based stuff. I came with the girl at breakfast. Lunch time they're also open but the breakfast menu is the way to go. This has most of their best options. Pancakes are many peoples' favorite. They really pile then load these up. It can be hard for a vegan at breakfast. Most places have nothing for you. Awesomely this does. This is also beyond just the avocado toast. Prices are okay. They're average to kind of high but you get big portions. I was able to snag us a table at breakfast. We got the Vegan Pancakes. It's $15 for a few. These are topped with bananas and strawberries. Good and fluffy. They didn't skimp. Good for anything you can get at breakfast. It gets crowded so make a reservation. There may not be much trouble for a couple people but larger parties should call ahead for a table. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - The Vegan Pancakes - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The reviews listed this as a go-to spot, and I couldn't have been less disappointed. I ordered the chicken and waffles, which my friend said was good and a safe bet. I asked for the eggs to be scrambled instead of sunny side up. Our server behaved oddly and rarely checked on our table. The waffles had some bizarre herb mix; I assume they were going for a savory spin. The chicken strips were hard and overcooked, drowning in a bacon marmalade that was less than desirable. The waffle was too soft, and the flavor profile was trash. Now to the eggs. I asked for scrambled but not with a side of eggshells. I tried my best to eat it, but it was absolutely disgusting! After my friend and I had eggshells for brunch, it soured the meal. The server couldn't have cared less. Chicago has excellent food, and Meli and the gang need to revamp this dish. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Chicken and Chicken & Waffles - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Young girl who is the hostess with the hoops and soggy bangs at the front has a major attitude. Had a group of 5, and kept trying to force us at a table for 4. We asked if we can add another chair for the fifth person and she rolled her eyes and said "i guess." So we pulled another chair from the neighboring table and sat down only for the server to tell us we can't sit there because the table is only meant for 4 people... We then moved to a booth that sat 5+. If she can't count or do anything without rolling her eyes, is it wise to have her represent your business? Service besides that is okay- very slow but okay. Food is okay. Hostess is rude. read more

They had a lot of options and portions are a good size. The orange juice didn't taste great for fresh squeezed. They are attentive with water refills. Hash browns could've been cooked longer. The panini and eggs benedict were good though. French toast was unmemorable. read more

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Went here for brunch after checking some good reviews. We were seated right away and there seemed to be a lot of people in the restaurant, which is a good sign to me! However, I was wrong. We immediately noticed the table was very sticky, so much so that my phone stuck to it. We couldn't tell if it was washed in maple syrup or just dirty! We ended up ordering symphony crepe and chicken omelette with juices (the juice was fantastic!). The crepe was very good, except we asked for no strawberries and there were a couple in there. The cross contamination is dangerous if someone had an allergy, which is common with strawberries. The chicken omelette was good, but lacked any salt or seasoning, so I had to add it myself. We also did not have our waters refilled during the meal after the waitress walked past us multiple times. The most frustrating part was the 3.25% surcharge added on the bill "due to rising costs"! It did say we can ask to have it removed, however the menu said nothing about this. If your business cannot run without adding unadvertised fees then your business shouldn't be operating. If anything, they should be increasing the cost of their food. This is false advertising. It is require by law that a restaurant menu show all costs associated with a purchase minus tax. With only two small meals, the total cost was over $60! This was very disappointing and we will not be returning after this. read more

This is one of my go-to breakfast spots for when I come to Chicago. It's consistent, the food is great, and they are very accommodating to dietary restrictions which I very much appreciate. The service is quick and reliable. And the atmosphere is very clean and has a nice simple look to it. read more

I had a really tasty brunch at Meli this morning! I'm staying in the business district, so not much is open on a Sunday morning. At the recommendation of a local, my dad and I headed to Meli as it was the closest place open for brunch. It's a relatively small restaurant that feels like your local diner or cafe. The menu is expansive with lots of gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian options so everyone can find something to eat. My dad got the greek yogurt and I got the pancake breakfast. Prices are on the higher side for a diner, but the portions are large. The pancakes were delicious, the eggs were fluffy, and the bacon was crispy. I would order it again! My dad enjoyed his generous serving of greek yogurt topped with nuts and honey. Service was just okay. My dad's food was brought out first and it was another 30 minutes before mine was. It was difficult to get a drink refill too. Our server was nice - I think they were just understaffed. I'm looking forward to coming back when I move to Chicago next month. The banana bread french toast looks like it is to die for! read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Pancake Breakfast - I just subbed the potatoes out for grits. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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My sister was in town, and my older sis recommended this place. The interior was lovely and had a kind of a Greek feel, which made sense considering we were in Greek town west loop. For us, it was more about spending time with the fam, so the food was honestly secondary. Everything was just ok. I got the chicken and waffles, which were ok, and the cook Basil into the waffle, which I'm not sure I like. For some reason, I like my chicken waffles to be simple, or if you're going to do more, make sure that it's a compliment to the sweetness. I don't think the basil balanced well, but that's just me. Maybe someone else will like it. Also, as no bacon comes on the chicken and waffles, and being that I don't eat pork, I would have liked to have known that. I was able to pick it off and enjoy but just a bit for anyone who may be interested in this dish at this location. The hashbrowns were nothing to be excited about. I would have suggested it be a bit crispier. My sisters enjoyed their food but again, nothing to get overjoyed over. The Salmon looked terrific. The wait staff was sweet and attentive. Overall it was an ok meal with excellent family time. For that, I give them 2 1/2 stars out of 5 read more

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The ambiance is great: warm and welcoming. The pancake breakfast was filling and the bacon was cooked perfectly! We enjoyed the background music and the window seating, too! read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Pancake Breakfast and Farmland Bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Nice place for breakfast when you are on the South side. Food is decent with a varied menu. Really like the selection of freshly made juice drinks. A bit pricey and service efficient and could be more welcoming. Enjoy! read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Eggs Benedict - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Found this place while visiting Chicago for work. Centrally located in a corner in downtown, this restaurant has pretty good brunch options. I tried their cornbeef eggs benedict and at first I was not too sure how I felt about them but they were pretty descent. Their menu had other options that also looked appealing and I would like to try them in another ocassion but overall, this is a pretty and solid brunch restaurant. read more

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Today my family decided to have brunch at Meli's on S. Halsted. We were extremely disappointed with the service, hygiene and rudeness of the staff & management. Service - It took an awfully long time for the waitress to approach our table and take our order. She arrived after I pleaded to the front desk to take the order. Hygiene - one family member found a hair in her glass of water. When we complained, they reduced the ~$64 bill by ~$4, the price for a cup of coffee and another $2 for the optional surcharge. Whe did not consider this a sufficient reduction as the entrée and coffee cost ~$20, so we spoke with management as we were leaving and we're surprised by their rude defensive response. They seemed a little dismissive of our concerns, noting that the hair was in the water and not on the food. They also mentioned that this happens occasionally. Needless to say, we were disappointed with Meli's on S. Halsted, as we have previously enjoyed our dining experience at Meli's on N. Wells st. read more

We were traveling from out of town and I called beforehand to make sure it was okay to take our luggage in. The person who answered said it was fine. We get there and the lady who was at the host desk seemed irritated that we had our luggage. She ended up being our server and was rude the whole time taking our order. There was another party of 8 and she was polite and friendly to them the whole time. Upon getting our food my moms egg Benedict had a hair in it and it was stuck in the English muffin so we knew it was from the cooks. We politely asked the server if she could have a fresh plate and the server at that point began to be nicer to us. When they brought the new eggs Benedict my mom didn't mention to me that the English muffins were burnt until after eating a bit of it, but I didn't think that was acceptable. You would think after sending a plate with hair they would send a plate with everything well cooked. It seemed as though the cooks were upset we had sent the food back or something. I let the server know that we were not happy and thankfully she agreed to take the eggs Benedict off the bill. But regardless, overall shitty experience. Would not return and do not recommend unless you want hair in your food and rude service. read more

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Decent, but not amazing breakfast for really standard prices. I had a good time and appreciated the service, especially since we came on a pretty packed Sunday morning, but it would not be my choice for brunch downtown. My go-to brunch order is a veggie egg skillet, so naturally, I ordered the closest thing at Meli, which was the farmland breakfast bowl. It came out looking like everything had just been dumped on a plate. The "breakfast potatoes" were just soggy hashbrowns on the bottom, and the swiss cheese really overpowered everything else. If I came back, I would definitely order something else. For the most part, however, my friends really enjoyed their meals, and while we all felt it was a good amount of food for the price, it wasn't by any means the best brunch ever. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Farmland Bowl - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Arrived as a group of 3 at 2:13pm on a Saturday and were seated and given water right away. We ordered the farmland breakfast bowl, jalepeno breakfast bowl, and tomato focaccia sandwich at 2:20 and the food was ready quickly at 2:29. Waiter was nice and attentive. Atmosphere is upbeat/easygoing, well lit with plenty of natural sunlight, with dining area and bathroom being clean. Food was delicious! Both bowls and the sandwich were great, fries were no good though. Also for those that drink this location does not serve alcohol. Overall a decent brunch spot that I wouldn't mind returning for if in the area and wouldn't mind bringing others to, but nothing I would go out of my way for. read more

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Vomit. I feel disrespected. Flavorless avocado toast. No seasoning no anything. I didn't know something could taste so bland when it's made with such great ingredients. Very sad meal. I couldn't even finish it. Today was a sad day. I thought I would give this place another chance even though when I went in one time they had dirty silverware and a hair in my friend's OJ... I thought maybe they had their act together but I was wrong. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Vom - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

LOVED the chocolate morsel pancakes in my opinion if you like chocolate you WILL love this only thing I would eat from there other than the fruit if I go there THAT is what I will get every time read more

The service was nice but the food was horrible . I took one bite off the waffle and I sent it back. I told them it didn't taste freshly cooked. The service was nice. I will not be returning here for anything else. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - it looks good but the waffles were spoiled I don't recommend it - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Huge portions for brunch. Their juices are great + there typically isn't a horrible wait to get in on the weekend. Would return here. I got the vegan pancakes + farmland breakfast bowl- both huge portions and great quality. read more

Meli Cafe & Juice Bar - Vegan Pancakes - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Got the egg white scrambler to be healthy...presented like an omelet (that's fine, no complaints there!) but it was literally OOZING with butter and oil. Like swimming in it... Would never order again. Other dining companions had some of the scrambler bowls...eggs weren't "wet" with butter/oil, but the veggies and meat were quite greasy. Decent prices, great list of options, but need to improve execution for me to come back read more